Preschool player to review admission policy in line with P1 changes
By Kezia Toh & Stacey Chia, The Straits Times, 16 Apr 2012
ONE of the largest preschool players here, the PAP Community Foundation (PCF), is looking into whether its admission policy should be tweaked to favour citizens over permanent residents (PRs).
A PCF spokesman said in response to questions from The Straits Times that it was reviewing its admission policy, following the Education Ministry's changes last month to the registration scheme for children entering Primary 1.
PCF declined, however, to divulge details of how its admission scheme may be changed, but said that it has generally aligned its education policies with those of the Government.
PCF, which charges fees that are a fraction of those in commercial preschools, now runs 242 kindergartens and 81 childcare centres, attended by nearly 50,000 children. In all, eight in 10 of these attendees are Singaporeans, and the remainder, PRs and foreigners.
The development comes on the back of the Education Ministry's announcement that when registration phases for Primary1 places go to the ballot - indicating more applicants than places - available places will go first to Singaporeans. Remaining places, if any, will then be open to PRs.
Singaporeans in each phase, regardless of where they live, will automatically have priority ahead of PRs, even those who live nearer the school.
This replaces the previous policy made in 2010 which gave Singaporeans two ballot slips and PRs only one, in ballots for Primary 1 places.
PCF typically launches its yearly registration for places this month; it is unknown when the changes - if any are to be made - will kick in.
ONE of the largest preschool players here, the PAP Community Foundation (PCF), is looking into whether its admission policy should be tweaked to favour citizens over permanent residents (PRs).
A PCF spokesman said in response to questions from The Straits Times that it was reviewing its admission policy, following the Education Ministry's changes last month to the registration scheme for children entering Primary 1.
PCF declined, however, to divulge details of how its admission scheme may be changed, but said that it has generally aligned its education policies with those of the Government.
PCF, which charges fees that are a fraction of those in commercial preschools, now runs 242 kindergartens and 81 childcare centres, attended by nearly 50,000 children. In all, eight in 10 of these attendees are Singaporeans, and the remainder, PRs and foreigners.
The development comes on the back of the Education Ministry's announcement that when registration phases for Primary1 places go to the ballot - indicating more applicants than places - available places will go first to Singaporeans. Remaining places, if any, will then be open to PRs.
Singaporeans in each phase, regardless of where they live, will automatically have priority ahead of PRs, even those who live nearer the school.
This replaces the previous policy made in 2010 which gave Singaporeans two ballot slips and PRs only one, in ballots for Primary 1 places.
PCF typically launches its yearly registration for places this month; it is unknown when the changes - if any are to be made - will kick in.
Phase 1 is for its existing Singaporean and PR pupils, such as those moving from K1 to K2, and their siblings.
Phase 2 is for those living in the constituency, followed by those outside it, with the last phase for foreigners.
If the PCF's admissions policy is to mirror the Education Ministry's, then the issue of giving priority to Singaporeans over PRs will arise only in the PCF branches which are oversubscribed.
Parents who spoke to The Straits Times said popular ones tend to be those in newer estates with young families, or those which use novel classroom methods such as teaching with Lego blocks.
Among other preschools, EtonHouse said it will consider giving citizens priority for admission in the future, but noted that the majority of its pupils in six of its nine schools are already Singaporean.
Another preschool operator, NTUC First Campus, said it would stand by its first-come-first-served admissions policy in its 109 centres, which include My First Skool, The Little Skool-House International and The Caterpillar's Cove.
Early-childhood education specialists warn that edging out non-Singaporean children can rob a classroom of diversity.
This is a pity when these children, aged two to three, are beginning to pick up simple social skills such as sharing and taking turns, said Dr Khoo Kim Choo, the founder and director of Preschool for Multiple Intelligences.
She said: 'With increasing globalisation, children who are exposed to people from other countries and their cultures would get a head start.'
She added that admission policies favouring citizens may not even be necessary, unless Singaporean children are unable to get places in preschool because of expatriate children.
A 36-year-old PR from India with a child in a church-based kindergarten and another in Primary 1, said PCF kindergartens are popular among PRs because they are cheap and good.
'If PCF outlets go with this policy, many PRs may have to send their children to international schools. It will cost a lot more and our children won't really learn about the local culture,' he said.
A balanced course of action is the way to go, said Dr David Fedo, the executive director of Wheelock College-Singapore.
'It's one that preserves the rights and privileges of Singaporean citizens and families, but doesn't exclude or discriminate hastily against worthy PRs and foreigners and their children,' he said.
He added: 'As everyone knows, one of Singapore's greatest virtues is its diversity, and expatriates and their children are part of this equation.'
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